9.2. Applicability

The entire ground floor facade facing a public street or public open space is required to consist of the frontage types allowed in this section

The standards and guidelines of this section apply to any new building or facade renovation along a street or public open space in the Downtown Zone This Chapter regulates design, while Chapter 12 regulates building use Ground floor use and frontage design shall be determined in coordination per the standards of both Chapters

• A. Private Frontages. Private Frontages are defined as the ground floor building facade and the area (or 'setback') between that facade and any property line along a street or public open space This area serves as the transition and interface between the building interior and street environment Table 9-1

FIGURE 9-1 | PRIVATE FRONTAGE

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Private
Private
Frontage
Frontage
Building
Setback Public Frontage
Travel Lanes
Public Frontage Building
Parcel
Setback
R.O.W.
Parcel
Facade
Ground Floor Ground Floor Facade
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18 Attachment 1:133

Publication, Apr 2026

SANTA CLARA CODE

43 | Chapter 9: Private Frontages

identifies Private Frontage Types which are regulated by Overlays, with design standards and guidelines for each type provided on the following pages These frontage types can be used in combination with Architectural Projections that will be noted under each frontage type

• B. Building Access. A key role of private frontages is to provide access from the public realm into the building The following standards apply:

1. All buildings must take primary access from the public sidewalk or from private on-site open spaces (see Section 12.5 ) that directly connect to public realm

2. Entrances into residential units may not be located more than 250 feet from the tenant/visitor parking space(s) assigned to that unit, as measured along walking paths

3. Access occurs via one of the allowed frontage types (see Table 9-1 )

4. Frequency of Entries The quantity of building entrances on a street has a drastic effect on the perceived liveliness of a street The frequency of entrances is regulated by Table 9-2 , at right

• C. Specific to front setback areas along Franklin St, Main St South, Lafayette St, and Central Green. Any setback area along these streets and open spaces shall be designed as an extension of the sidewalk—from the public right-of-way to the ground floor facade—with its design and paving matching that of the adjacent public sidewalk, subject to the following:

1. On Lafayette St, the first 6 feet (adjacent to the public right-of-way) of the setback area shall be clear of ground-level obstructions and shall function as an extension of the publicly-accessible walkway/sidewalk

2. Apart from the first 6 feet of the Lafayette St setback (per Standard 9.3.C.1 above), the setback area on these streets and open spaces may contain furniture, potted plants, sidewalk signs, and other temporary, movable elements in support of ground-floor retail Any front setback area not used for such purposes should function as an extension of the publicly-accessible sidewalk No permanently-installed furniture or fixtures are permitted

• a. Exception. A physical barrier required by the California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Act is permitted Any such barrier shall be no taller than required by state law, and it shall be as visually transparent as permitted under state law

TABLE 9-1 | ALLOWED FRONTAGE TYPES BY OVERLAY

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Frontage Type Shopfront Retail-Ready General
Shopfront Yes Yes Yes
Common Entrance No¹ Yes Yes
Retail / Housing Flex No No Yes
Ground Floor Office No No [2] Yes
Ground Floor Residential No No Yes
Vehicular Access No [3] Yes [4] Yes
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Notes

• 1 Exception: If a project only has frontage in the Shopfront Overlay, a common entrance of 20' maximum width and designed as a Shopfront is permitted in the Shopfront Overlay.

• 2 Any ground-floor office uses in the Retail-Ready Overlay (see Chapter 10 ) shall be designed as Shopfront frontages.

• 3 Exception: A Vehicular Access may be located within the Shopfront Overlay—but in no case on Franklin St or Main St South—if: 1) all of a project's frontage is in the Shopfront Overlay, or 2) if a project has less than 30 feet of frontage outside the Shopfront Overlay and the Applicant demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the Director, that it is only possible to get vehicular access from within the Shopfront Overlay.

• 4 A project facade (or portion thereof) in the Retail-Ready Overlay shall have no more than one Vehicular Access. Vehicular Access is prohibited on Franklin St and Main St South.

TABLE 9-2 | FREQUENCY OF BUILDING ENTRIES BY OVERLAY